Reinforced end for containers



June 24, 1941. P. zALKlND REINFORCED END FOR CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 23, 1958 Patented June 24, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT l oEFIcE REINFORCED END Fon CONTAINERS Philip Zalkind, New York, N. Y. Application August 2s, 193s, lserial No. 226,235

5 Claims.

My invention relates to collapsible casings and more specifically to reinforcing means for an open end thereof and is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 693,841, filed October 16, 1933.

Heretofore, in the use of collapsible file casings made of fibrous material and carrying 'metallic reinforcements at the open end of the outer casing, provision for preventing or absorbing disruptive stresses at the open front of the casing has been overlooked. Where a casing is constructed in the manner described in my Patent No. 2,118,011 issued May 17, 1938, or in the manner described in my copending application Serial No. 693,841, tortional stresses at the open front end are 'adequately provided for by the angle Wires which maintain rigid angular relation between the walls; and compressive stresses are absorbed by the metallic reinforcements for the open front end therein described. Where, however, a drawer of the type described in my Patent No. 1,946,516, issued February 13, 1934, or in my copending application Serial No. 45,711, filed October 19, 1935, is used in connection with the casing memberpthen, whenever the drawer is partially withdrawn from vthe casing especially when it is so far withdrawn therefrom that'its center of gravity is beyond the open front end of the casing, then the rear end of the drawer is pushed against the inner side of the top wall of the casing, the drawer tending to pivot about the forward edge of the bottom wall of the casing as a fulcrum; and thus, substantially disruptive or spreading forces are applied between the top and bottom wall tending to separate them and to distort the front end of the case out of its original dimensions.

In the use of 'special drawer and casing combinations described in my copending application Serial No. 211,384, filed June 2, 1938, where the relationship between the drawer and casing members should be relatively exact, and likewise in the use -of the drawer stop arrangement described in my copending application Serial No. 211,385, filed June 2, 1938, where the stop and aligning arrangement will function best when distortion is prevented, any means which will prevent the distortion of the front of the casing Further objects of my invention are to arrange an open side of a container that the edges of the wallsabutting said open side may retain their rigid angular relationship under compressive tortional and disruptive stresses.

Other objects of my invention will be clear from the following description and drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a partial perspective front view of a le casing of the type generally described in my copending applications Serial Nos. 693,841, 211,384 and 211,385, showing an arrangement of angle wires for preventing spreading of the open '3 front of the casing.

Figure 4 corresponds to Figure 1 showing an alternative method for preventing the spreading of the top and bottom walls of the casing.

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the angle wire Il of Figure 4 in place with the reinforcement I4 also in place on the front edge of the casing.

Figure 6 is a partial perspective front view showingV a modif-led arrangement of the ,angle wires for preventing spreading of the top and bottom walls.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the construction of Figure 6 showing the angle wires in place.

Referring now to Figure 1, I have here shown a means whereby widening or distortion of the open front may be prevented.- Angle wires l and 2 mounted in the horizontal casing reinforcements 3 and 4 may have4 their ends so arranged as to interengage and prevent the spreading apart'of the top and bottoml walls. Such angle wires will, of course, operate in the same manner as the angle Wires described in my Patent No. 2,118,011, issued May 17, 1938, and my copending application Serialv No. 693,841, in conjunction with the vertical reinforcements 5, 5 as therein described.

To prevent disruption or spreading of the mouth of the casing, the ends of the angle wires may be notched at 6, 6 so that when they are placed in operative position in the erected casing (Figure 2) they will interldck and thus prevent a separation of theends of the wires.

The notches neednot be limited to the type shown, which is by Way of illustration only, but may have any useful and operative form; they may be curved, reclangular, trapezoidal or serg rated in section or any combination of the foregoing; and there may be a seriesof notches. They may also be so formed that they lie in the angle wire in such position that they extend in the plane of the open mouth (Figure 2) Vin which case either wire may be placed in position rst or so that they lie in the wire in a plane at right angles to the open mouth (Figure 3) in which case one specific pair of .wires (I) should be placed in position first. A

In Figure 3 I have illustrated a form of interlocking angle wires wherein one wire I has a perforation I ytherein and the other Wire 2 has a projecting lug 8 which will register with and enter the perforation and thus serve to inter-y lock the wires. p

Many other forms will, of course, be obvious; but my invention herein resides in interlocking or interengaging the angle wires I and 2 to prevent their ends from separating. As described in my copending application Serial No. 693,841, the reinforcement .is then folded about the bend line 9 to abut between the horizontal rel inforcements and to confine and lock the angle wires in place.

The angle wires need not necessarily engage each other in order to prevent the disrupting force above-described from being eiective; but other means may be provided for anchoring them. l

Thus, in Figurev 4, I have shown a form of angle wire adapted to cooperate with the vertical reinforcement and to be engaged thereby against sliding movement of the angle wire relative to said reinforcement. The angle Wires I0, I0 have a series of notches or recesses II cut therein; the tongues I2 in the bend line I3 of the vertical reinforcement I 4 are bent out slightly in such manner that when the reinforcement is turned on the bend line I3, the tongues vI2 enter the recesses I'I` (Figure 5) and engage against the adjacent ledges I5, preventing the angle wires from slipping with respect to the reinforcement, thus preventing disruption of the mouth of the casing. Other similar anchoring means will be obvious. Thus, the tongues I2 may be bent out or arranged so that they Will enter perforations in the angle wire when the reinforcements are bent and thus serve to anchor the angle wire; or other cooperating means may be provided between the reinforcement and the angle wire to anchor the angle wire in place.

yIt will be obvious, of course, that where it is' decided also to prevent the spreading apart of the side walls, the angle wire may be U-shaped; said angle Wire being continuous along the portion I6 (Figure 2) which is secured at the horizontal edge of the container, the legs I engaging the sidewalls and preventing the spreading apart.

My angle wire may, however, be arranged in, such a manner that no notches or other engaging means are required to prevent the spreading or disruption of the top and bottom walls. Thus, in Figure 6 I have shown an angle wire 2| having legs 22,".'22 and a continuous pore tion 23 connecting such-liegst the legs-2 2, 22 extending at right angles from said continuous portion 23; the said legs both extending in the same plane. The continuous portion 23 of the' angle wire 2| is secured by the vertical reinforcement 24 on the side .wall 25. 'I'he angle wire 2|- may be turned upon its secured portion.

23 so that the legs 22 will be engaged by reinforcements 26, 26 on adjacent horizontal walls; such reinforcements 2B may have any of the forms described in my Patent No. 2,118,011 issued May 1 7, 1938 or my copending application Serial No. 693,841.

As will be seen in the elevational view of Figure 7 when the legs 22, 220i' the angle wire 2l are engaged at the front edges 21, 21 of the top and bottom walls 28, 29 by any suitable engaging means or reinforcement 26, spreading apart of the top and bottom walls will be prevented by the fact that the legs 22 and the portion 23 of the angle wire 2I constitute a continuous member which will prevent a spreading apart of such Walls.

Other modifications of my invention will, of course, be obvious.

Thus, the angle wire I need not be continuous along the edge at which it is secured. When the angle wires I or Il) (Figures 1, 3 and 4) are used to maintain rigid angular relation and are also required to prevent only a spreading ofthe topl and bottom walls such angle wires need not be continuous along the secured portion. The

angle wire of each end of the horizontal edge may be secured -at such horizontal edge or mounted therein in any desired manner.

Where it is not desired to have in the construction of the type shown in Figures 6 and 7, a continuous angle Wire 2| but rather to have separate angie wires at each end of the side walls, then the secured leg of the angle wire must be so mounted in thel reinforcement 24 as to -prevent it from sliding or being pulled out of its engagement with the reinforcements.

By these means, it will be obvious that the interengagement of the legs of the angle wires, 0r of the legs and the reinforcements, or the arrangement of the angle Wires may be such as to prevent a spreading apart of the top and bottom walls of the container; thereby preserving the original undistorted dimension of the open front of the casing.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a casing having an open end and top,

bottom and side walls: an angle wire, one leg off which is secured at the edge of one of said walls; another angle Wire, one leg of which is secured at the edge of an opposed Wall; said angle wires being rotatable on said secured legs into position to be engaged at the edge of an adjacent wall; means for holding said angle wires inplace at said edge of said adjacent wall for maintaining said opposed walls and said adjacent wall in rigid angular relation; and additional means on each of said angle wires adapted to interengage said angle wires for maintaining said opposed walls in predetermined spaced relation to each other.

2. In a casing having an open end and top, bottom and side walls: an angle wire, one leg of which is secured at the -edge of one of said walls; another angle wire, one ieg of which is secured at the edge of an opposed wall; said angle wires being rotatable on said secured leg's into position to be engaged at the edge of an adjacent wall; means for holding said angle wires in piace at said edge of said adjacent wall forv angle wires, said notches cooperatinglwith each other to interengage said angle wires.

assumes cent wall in rigid angulax` relation; and additional means on each of said angle wiresadapted tol v interengage said angie wiresfor maintaining said opposedv walls invpredetermined spaced relation to each other,` said additional means comprising s, perforation on the unsecuredportion of one portion of the other of said angle wires; said perforation and stud cooperating with each` other to interengage said-angle wires.

4. In a casing having an open end and top, bottom and side walls; an angle wire, one leg of which is secured at the edge of one of said walls; -another angle wire, one leg of which is secured at the edge of an opposed wall; said angle wires being rotatable on said secured legs into position to be engaged at the edge o! an adjacent wall; means ,for holding said angle wires in place at said edge oi said adjacent wall for of said angle wires, and a stud on theunsecured maintaining said opposed ,walls and said adjacent wall in rigid angular relation; and additional means on. each of said angle wires adapted to interengage said angle wires for maintaining said opposed walls in predetermined spaced relation to each other; the interengaged portion of said angle wires, when said angle wires are interengaged, being of substantially the. same thickness as the portion of each angle wiread' jacent said interengaged portion. v

5. In a casing having an open end and topi bottom and side walls; means for maintaining all adjacent walls in predetermined angular relation, and all opposed walls in predetermined spaced relation, said means comprising two angle wires, said angle wires secured at the edges of a pair of opposed walls; the portion of each of said angle wires so secured being continuous along the edge oi' its wall; each -of said angle wires having projecting legs at thev ends of the secured portions thereof; each angle wire being rotatable onsaid secured portion into position so that the projecting legs 4may be engaged at the edges of adjacent walls; and means on the projecting legs of each angle wire interengaging homologous projecting legs of -theopposedangle wiresT PHILIP ZALKIND. 

